1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electric connector for multi-conductor flat cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent electronic equipment, lightening, thinning, shortening and miniaturization have been promoted, and high-density packaging has become necessary therefor. Accordingly, a small-sized electric connector in which contactors are arrayed at the highest possible density has been required as an electric connector for use in the electronic equipment, and multi-conductor flat cables etc. in which a large number of cable conductors are arrayed at a high density have been required as cables to be used. In order to meet such requirements, a multi-conductor flat cable in which cable conductors are arrayed at pitches of 0.025 in. (0.635 mm) has hitherto been developed as opposed to a conventional multi-conductor flat cable in which cable conductors are arrayed at pitches of 0.05 in. (1.27 mm). As connectors for connecting such very small-sized and 0.025 in. (0.635 mm) pitch multi-conductor flat cables, there have been developed crimp contact connection type electric connectors for multi-conductor flat cables as disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 56-37667, the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-53629, etc. With these known electric connectors of the crimp contact connection type, the pitches of the multi-conductor flat cable to be connected are rendered 0.025 in. (0.635 mm), which is 1/2 relative to the pitches of 0.05 in. (1.27 mm) in the multi-conductor flat cable having hitherto been used oftenest, and the arrayal pitches of contacts are also set at 0.025 in. (0.635 mm), which is 1/2 of those in the conventional cable, in conformity with the conductor arrayal pitches of the cable. Therefore, the size of the whole electric connector can be reduced to 1/2 of that of the hitherto commonest electric connector for equal numbers of cable conductors and equal numbers of contacts. The following disadvantages, however, have posed problems:
(1) Since the arrayal pitches are set at 1/2 of those in the conventional connector, the individual conductors of the flat cable become very fine, and the mechanical strength of the flat cable itself lowers. Moreover, since press-contact connections are made for such fine cable conductors, the cable conductors break down in the pressing contact connection operations, and inferior conduction, inferior insulation etc. are liable to occur.
(2) Unless both the flat cable and the electric connector are fabricated at very high precisions, the alignment between the cable conductors and the contacts is not favorable, and the cost becomes rather high.
(3) Since the contacts must be miniaturized and must be put into a complicated shape, they are very difficult of fabrication. This also forms a cause for the high cost.
An object of the present invention is to eliminate such problems of the prior arts, and to provide an inexpensive electric connector for multi-conductor flat cables in which contacts can be arrayed at a high density by the use of the hitherto conventional multi-conductor flat cables.